Sports · Cricket · 2 hrs ago
McCullum says Australia tour will test England’s World Cup progress
England’s white-ball team is heading to Australia for three one-day internationals and five T20 matches.
Coach Brendon McCullum expects this tour to be quieter than last winter’s Ashes trip, which drew intense scrutiny over the team’s conduct.
The team wants results and lessons from tougher conditions after playing in a Pakistan tri-series where England won one of four matches and missed the final.
McCullum says the Australia matches will help assess England’s progress with the 50-over World Cup a year away.
Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer are set to return after injury and rest, while Ben Duckett and Tom Banton have strengthened their claims for places.
Jos Buttler remains unavailable as he recovers from hamstring surgery, and his return date is uncertain.
The Australia tour is the next test as England work out their line-up and aim to improve before the World Cup in southern Africa.
Brendon McCullum says England’s white-ball tour of Australia will test the team’s progress and help prepare for the 50-over World Cup.
England are scheduled to play three one-day internationals and five T20 matches in Australia.
McCullum says the team will try to apply lessons from the tri-series in Pakistan and improve in different conditions.
England won one of four matches in Pakistan and missed out on the final.
Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer are set to return, while Jos Buttler remains unavailable as he recovers from hamstring surgery.
- Who
- England’s white-ball team, led by coach Brendon McCullum.
- What
- England will play three one-day internationals and five T20s in Australia. McCullum says the tour will test the team and its World Cup progress.
- When
- November 2026.
- Where
- Australia.
- Why
- England want to get results, build on lessons from the Pakistan tri-series and prepare for the 50-over World Cup.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
England won one of four matches and missed out on the final.
McCullum discussed England’s preparations for the Australia tour in an interview published by BBC Sport and the Independent.
England are set to build up to the match at Optus Stadium, according to ESPNcricinfo.
- Australia tour
- 3 ODIs and 5 T20s
- Pakistan tri-series
- England won 1 of 4 matches
- World Cup squad
- 15 players
- Jacob Bethell
- Set to return after knee surgery
- Jos Buttler
- Unavailable while recovering from hamstring surgery
3 sources
What people are saying
Our boys are excited to get there. We’re excited to test ourselves in different conditions against a good side and try and implement stuff that we’ve learned from this tri-series (in Pakistan).
We know we’ve got to keep learning and improving if we’re to be realistic challengers (for the 50-over World Cup) in 12 months’ time and Australia will be another good test, it’s a good place to play cricket.
White-ball tours are probably a little bit different to the Ashes.